Re: Darwin quote

From: Keith Miller (kbmill@ksu.edu)
Date: Thu Aug 14 2003 - 21:56:38 EDT

  • Next message: Keith Miller: "Re: Darwin quote"

    Walter:

    > Excluding catastrophic events, is natural selection responsible for all
    > evolutionary outcomes? This is not a trivial question in that it is
    > _the_
    > critical bone of contention with many Christians (who feel that this
    > is too
    > cruel to be the way that God would accomplish His goals). To me your
    > answer
    > seems to say yes and no at the same time. Can you do a "natural
    > selection
    > for dummies" that would directly address that specific question?

    It seems that you have put your finger on the real issue - at least for
    you and
    many other Christians. That issue is theodicy -- how to understand
    God's character
    in light of pain and suffering. I have often stated, that the
    fundamental issues driving
    much of the Creation/Evolution debate within the church are theological
    ones. Until
    those issues are dealt with forthrightly, arguing about scientific
    questions is not
    productive. We must uncover the root theological concerns and deal
    with those first.

    Keith

    Keith B. Miller
    Research Assistant Professor
    Dept of Geology, Kansas State University
    Manhattan, KS 66506-3201
    785-532-2250
    http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~kbmill/



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